Unstacking and feeding device for spaceband cleaning machines



p 7' 1954 w P DONE ow 2 uus'mcxmc AND FIIIEEDINEGRDEVICELFOR SPACE BANDCLEANING mcmuss 5 Sheets-Shoe. '1

Filed April 23, 1951 INVENTORS I WILLIAM P. OONEHOWER By RICHARD a.HAMLIN i m r A\ U. i

A TTRNEV Sept. 7, 1954 w. P. DONEHOWER ETAL 2,688,413

NG AND FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 25, 1951 FOR BAND CLEANING MACHINES 5SheetsSheet 2 y RICHARD 5.1mm!

ATTO war Sept. 1954 P. DONEHOWER ETAL 88,

UN CKING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR 1 SPACE BAND CLEANING MACHINES FiledApril 23, 1951 5 Sheets-$heet 3 INVENTORS WILL/AM P. OONEHOWER W RICHARDs. HAMLIN W 47 70 NE) l 1954 w. P. DONEHOWER ETAL 2,688,413

UNSTACKING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR SPACE BAND CLEANING ommas Filed April23, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG/2.

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FIG. 22.

'INVENITORS WILL/AM P. DONEHOWER BY RICHARD a. HAMLIN ,A TTORNEVPatented Sept. 7, 1954 UNSTACKING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR SPACEBANDCLEANING MACHINES William P. Donehower, Philadelphia, and Richard B.Hamlin, Green Ridge, Pa., assignors to Maurice Hartzell and Blanche D.Hartzell,

Chester, Pa.

Application April 23, 1951, Serial No. 222,462

Claims.

This invention relates generally to spaceband cleaning machines and oneobject of our invention is to provide an improved machine for feedingspacebands in a manner that is relatively simple, rapid and positive inoperation.

Another object is to provide an improved spaceband cleaning machinewhich is adapted to perform an inspection function so as to prevent thefeeding of bands which are either bent or are positioned upside down inthe feeding magazine. The desirability of detecting bent bands isobvious in order that they might be repaired, while it is also desirableto have the bands fed into the machine right side up in order that aknife which is provided for scraping off type metal that occasionalyadheres to one side of the band, can be effective.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following description of the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. l is a side elevation of our machine;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of a spaceband;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine;

Fig. 4. is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing a spacebandbeing initially fed from the feeding magazine;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the spaceband beinglifted up against a knife to scrape metal from the band;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the spaceband justentering the cleaning blocks;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of certain elements of the feeding means, theknife actuating cams and the band contracting means, certain parts beingomitted for clarity;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the movable feeding element for engaging theflared shoulders of the spacebands;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of a spaceband being engaged at its flaredshoulders by the feeding lips;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the knife, takensubstantially on the line i0-l0 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the knife and stationary supporting structuretherefor;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the feeding end of the machine showing a bandbeing initially carried forward by the feeding chains;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but showing the band in positionjust prior to being conof the band is now ready to be moved forward t tocontract it;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line MMof Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary plan view showing the band completelycontracted or telescoped and now free of its stops so that it is aboutready to be re-engaged by the feeding chains;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the feeding band taken substantially online Ifi-IG of Fig. 15 but no parts being shown in cross section forpurposes of clarity;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary plan view showing the band completelyre-engaged by the chain after being expanded and now ready to be fedbetween the cleaning strips and blocks;

Fig. 18 is a bottom perspective View of a cover plate which supportsupper pivotal cleaning blocks and the knife;

Fig. 19 is an enlarged longitudinal fragmentary sectional view showingthe graphite feeding container, the cleaning blocks and lower cleaningstrip;

Figs. 20 and 21 are the perspective views of two of the cleaning blocks;

Fig. 22 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional I view of the bottom plateof the feeding magazine showing a spaceband in its proper right side upposition;

Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 22 showing a spaceband improperlypositioned upside down thereby automatically to prevent feeding of theband into the machine;

Fig. 24 is a fragmentary perspective showing a part of the spaceband andthe means by which it is supported for proper positioning; and

Fig. '25 is a transverse section taken on line 25-45 of Fig. 15 to showthe chain guides, certain parts being omitted for sake of clarity.

In the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, forpurposes of illustration, we have shown in Figs. 1 and 3 a machine frameI having at one end a feeding magazine generally indicated at 2 and adischarge stacking magazine generally indicated at 3, this dischargingmeans per se not constituting a part of our invention but being the soleinvention of the present joint applicant Donehower. Positioned betweenthese two magazines are a pair of feeding chains generally indicated at4, cams 5 for raising the bands against a cleaning knife and a bandcontracting finger t which per sedoes not constitute our inventionexcept as it is a cooperative element in our improved band contractingmechanism.

In Fig. 2 a spaceband 1, well known in the art, comprises a long taperedportion 8 and a short complementary tapered element 9 slidable onportion 8 and having flared shoulders It terminating in lateral ears IIon each side of a substantially V-shaped opening |2.

' The feeding magazine, Figs. 4 and 12, comprises a pair of stationaryvertical side walls l5 and a forward wall l6 which has a verticallyextending T-slot H in which a vertically slidable abutment block I8 isyieldingly held down by a spring l9, Fig. 4. The rear end of abutmentblock I8 is V-shaped to receive the V-recess l2, Fig. 2, of thespaceband. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower rear underside of the abutmentl8 (the rear of the machine herein being to the left and the front tothe right) is provided with a tip rounded on its bottom so as to allowthe lowermost band of a stack of bands 2| to be moved forward easilywhile the remainder of the stack is restrained by abutment l8. As thebottom-most band slides beneath the tip 20, the abutment I8 ismomentarily raised against the tension of spring I9. The tip 20 istransversely narrowed so as to fit substantially in the bottom of theband V-recess l2. The stack 2| of bands are supported upon a stationaryplate 22 which in turn is supported upon a spaced stationary part 23 ofthe frame and upon other horizontal frame members 24. The rear end ofplate 22 is provided, Figs. 22 to 24, with a recessed portion 25 whosewidth is slightly greater than that of the spacebands. A leveling pin 26is disposed centrally within recess 25 and lies substantially in thesame plane as the top surface of plate 22. This pin and recess performan inspection function in that the spacebands are supposed to be placedin the magazine with the band groove 21, Figs. 2 and 24, on the up sidethereby leaving the main bottom fiat surface of the band resting on pin26 as shown in Fig. 22. If the band is placed wrong side up the bandwill tilt upwardly, as shown in Fig. 23, about a fulcrum point 28 withthe pin falling into the band groove.

Assuming that the bands are properly positioned in the magazine, areciprocable feeding element 30, Fig. 8, is positioned beneath the plate22, Fig.7, so that a pair of feeding lips 3 I, recessed in element 30,extend upwardly along each side of plate 22 just sufficiently to engagethe flared shoulders IQ of the band as is shown in Fig. 9. The feedingelement is biased rearwardly by a spring 32, Fig. 4, connected at oneend to a screw 33 which fastens lips 3| to element and at its other endto a stationary part of the frame. This feeding element, when fullyretracted, as shown in Fig. 5, has its lips 3| positioned just behindthe flared shoulders of the stacked bands. To move this elementforwardly a shoulder 34 is formed at its front underside to be engagedby a cam 35 which is driven by a pair of sprockets 36, all mounted upona common shaft 31, and operated by the pair of chains 4. This feedingcam is similar to that shown in Romyns Patent 2,231,196 and hence per sodoes not constitute a part of our present invention. As shown in Fig. 25the chains 4 run in channels 38 along the top of the frame which, asshown in Figs. 4, 5 and 1B, is provided with a cover 43.

As the feeding element 3|] moves a spaceband forwardly from themagazine, suitable lugs 40, Fig. 12, on the feeding chains 4 engage thelateral band ears thereby pulling the band beneath a cleaning knife 4|,Figs. 6 and 10. This knife is pivotally supported at 42 in theremovablecover 43 and is biased downwardly by a leaf spring 44 but limited in itsdownward movement by adjustable stops 45, the spring tension beingadjusted by a screw 45'. The bands are raised up to the knife thereby toperform certain dual functions one of which is to scrape metal from theband. To do this, the pair of cams 5, Fig. 7, are secured to and rotatedupwardly by shaft 31 on each side of a narrowed section 4! of plate 22to engage the underside of the band being fed, Fig. 5, and raise itagainst the knife 4|. As the chain lugs 40 continue to pull the bandunder the knife the cams will move with the band to firmly press itagainst the knife until that portion of the band which might containadhered type metal will have passed the knife whereupon the cams 5 willlower the band on to plate 22. The other function performed by the camsis that as the band is raised by cams 5 the lateral band ears II will beraised over the top of a pair of lateral tail guides 48, Fig. 7, securedto plate 22 and spaced apart just wide enough to serve as a lateralguide for the body portion 8, Fig. 2, of the spaceband. Thus the camsperform the dual functions of helping to clean metal from the bands andalso of effectin relative vertical movement between the guides 48 andears so that the ears may pass the guides and subsequently allow theguides to engage the elongated body portion of the band, this beingaccomplished in one specific embodiment of our invention shown herein byraising the lateral lips over the top of the tail guides 48.

The chain lugs 4|! now move the band, Fig. 7, over a longitudinal slot49 in plate 22 during which time, Fig. 12, the trailing end of thespaceband part 8 is laterally guided by the two guides 48. As the rearend of the band passes over the rear end of slot 49 the contraction pin6, Fig. 6, has moved upwardly to enter slot 49 and engage the end of arecess 50. Fig. 2, of the band. The

pin 6 sweeps forwardly more rapidly than the chains 4 move the front endof the band even though the pin is driven by chain 4 through sprockets52 at the same speed as sprocket 36, this for the reason that the pinaxis 5| is disposed below the level of sprocket axis 31 thereby givingthe pin a larger radius of peripheral movement than that of thesprockets. This arrangement of the offset axis 5| provides an extremelysimple and yet highly effective means for obtaining rapid movement ofpin 6 with minimum complications of the driving connections while at thesame time shortening the length of the machine by reason of the lowerstrand chain having angular portions. It will be understood that thechain lugs must be spaced apart along the chain by a definite distancedetermined by the spacing of the bands as they feed through the machineand hence by sa ging the chain the accumulated distances along the chainmay be maintained while still shortening the machine.

The rapidly moving pin 6 will not by itself effec tively contract theband. In order to obtain a positive contraction of the spaceband so thatgraphite, if desired, may be worked between all surfaces of the band, wehave provided a novel arrangement for positively stopping movement ofband part 9 while allowing its part 8 to continue movement and, yet, wefurther utilize this relative movement between these two tapered partsto automatically disengage the part 9 from its stopped position when thecontraction has been effected. To accomplish this it will be seen inFig. 13 that as the rapidly moving pin 6 engages the end of slot 50 ofpart 8 the band will be thrust forwardly away from its chain lugs 40 andup against two upstandin stop lugs 55 which, as shown in Fig. 7, is aU-shaped member secured to the underside of plate 22 extending upwardlyon each side thereof. With the frontend of part 9 of the bandnow held ina stationary position the pin 6 will move part 8 forwardly beneath part9 to the position approximately shown in wherein the part 9 ,is aboutmidway between the ends of the part 8. The part 8 is released from stops55 by functionally utilizing the complementary tapered structure of theband parts 8 and 9 in that the long tapered surface of part 8 lifts thepart 9 as part 8 slides forwardly until finally, as shown in Fig. 16,the part 9 is raised above the upper edge of stops 55 and the two partsmoved slightly forward over the stops. By this time pin 6 has moveddownwardly through its slot 49 and away from the band which is now leftmomentarily without movement until, as shown in Fig. 17, the chain lugs48 catch up with band ears I I to again move part 9 to the forward endof part 8 whereupon the two parts then move together. As pin 6, Fig. '6,initially moved upwardly it tended to lift the band 1 which, however,was prevented by an overlying block 51 secured to the cover 43, theblock having a slot 58 in which pin 6 moves. In this telescopingoperation the stops 55 function broadly merely to engage a front edge ofband part 9 without imposing on part 9' a downward force which, ifsufficiently present, would prevent freedom of telescopic action.

To clean the bands and lubricate the same with graphite there isprovided, as shown in Figs. 18 21, improved cleaning blocks consistingof one series 59 and a special block 60. All of these blocks aresupported in the cover 43 by. pin and slot connections 5! which allowsthe blocks to move upwardly as well as to pivot. Springs 62 areinterposed between cover 43 and the blocks preferably near their forwardend and the blocks are also provided with a tapered entering edge 63.The special block 60 is additionally provided with a pair of verticalside slots 64, Fig. 20, and immediately above this block a taperedgraphite container 65 is disposed. This is supported on cover 63 anddischarges immediately over the slotted sections he of block 60. Thelocation of the gra hite container relative to the band during itscontraction is shown by dotted circles 65', Figs. 13, 15 and 17. Tocontrol flow of the graphite from container 55 a disk 56 is looselydisposed in the container and has a stem 61 extending down into freeabutting contact with the top of block fill. Disposed beneath thecleaning blocks is a relatively continuous cleaning strip 68 removablysecured by screw 69 to a transverse part it of frame i. As thespacebands move forwardly to the right, they engage the tapered end ofthe cleaning blocks and initially tilt the same slightly upwardly, asshown in Figs. 6 and 19, until the blocks successively rest entirelyalong the flat surface of the spacebands. The bands are thus drawnbetween upper and lower cleaning surfaces under a sufiicient pressurefor cleaning, simultaneously being contracted and expanded whilegraphite is efiectively fed thereto. As the spacebands move beneathspecial blocks Be it will periodically raise disk 66 to release alimited amount of graphite.

After the spacebands pass through the series of cleaning blocks they arethen discharged into the discharge magazine 3 which will be more fullydescribed in the sole application of applicant Donehower Serial No.223,424 filed April 27, 1951. However, to briefly complete the cycle ofoperation in this disclosure, chains 4 pass around sprockets onshaft,1l, Fig. 3, and the lower fiat cleaning plate 68 terminates in adownwardly inclined spaceband support 12. As the bands move forwardly tothis inclined surface their front end tips downwardly against anabutment T3 thereby lifting the rear left end of the bands whereby afollowing band is moved beneath this raised rear end and pulled by thechain lugs beneath the stack of bands to keep raising the stack upwardlyfrom the bottom. The chain lugs then move downwardly to be disengagedfrom. the band ears H. Side plates 7 i maintain the stack in alignment.The bands can be readily removed by simply lifting the stack upwardly byhand. To actuate the chain a hand wheel 15, Fig. 1, is mounted on shaft5! I.

Operation-She spacebands are stacked in magazine 2, Fig. 3, and theflared edges [0, Fig. 2, of the bands are engaged by the lips 3| of thereciprocating feeder element 30, Fig. 8, the lips extending alongside ofonly the lowermost band of the stack 2|, Fig. 4. If the band is in goodcondition, it will be fed forwardly, to the right, and chain lugs 463will engage the lateral ears H to continue its movement but if the earsare bent or distortedthey will either raise the band above the level ofthe feeding lips 3| so as not to be engaged thereby or if the band isinitially fed band ears It may be above the level of the chain lugs liiso as not to be engaged by them and thus not carried forward into themachine. Also, if any one band is placed upside down in the feedingmagazine it will fail to feed when its turn comes for the reason that,as shown in Figs. 22 and 23, the band slot 21 will be on the undersidethereby allowing the pin 26 to enter the slot and permit the completestack of bands to tip downwardly at their left end. The right front endof the band is then lifted out of reach of the reciprocating feedinglips 3| so that the band cannot be fed forwardly. Whenever bands fail tobe fed into the machine the operator immediately knows that he haseither a damaged band or a band that is in upside down. The damaged bandcan be removed and repaired while the upside down band will be simplyinverted to the position shown in Fig. 22 whereby the band rests on topof the leveling pin 26. After a band is initially engaged by the chainlugs it is raised by cams 5, Figs. 5 and '7, up against the scrapingknife d! to remove any possible type metal that might be on it. At thesame time the lateral lips ll of the band are lifted over guide elements48 and after the cams lower the band its trailing part falls between theguides to insure proper alignment of the band slot with slot 49. Thispermits the contraction pin 6 to sweep upwardly and accurately engagethe band to move its front end against stops thereby to allow the rearpart H to be moved forwardly and thus telescope these parts forpermitting graphite to be spread between them, if desired. Thecomplementary tap-er of these two parts ultimately causes the forwardpart 9 to be lifted over stops 55 whereupon the chain lugs re-engageband ears II to carry the band forward beneath the series of cleaningblocks 59, and cleaning plate 68 to ultimately discharge the same intothe discharge magazine 3.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that we have provided anextremely effective, relatively simple and highly fool-proof spacebandcleaning machine that is compact and has minimum parts consistent withthe functions performed as well as having the parts readily accessiblefor inspection or repair thereby requiring minimum time, effort andexpense for maintenance.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a spaceband cleaning machine of the type having a feeding magazinefor containing stacked bands each of which has an elongated body and asleeve slidable thereon, the sleeve having lateral ears at one end andflared shoulders extending outwardly from the body and spaced behind andinwardly of the ears, a reciprocating feeding element having lipsengageable with said flared shoulders for feeding the lowermost bandfrom the stack, said lips being disposed inwardly of the path of travelof the outer ends of the lateral ears and adjacent to the band bodywhereby the ears project laterally free of the lips, and means disposedoutside the path of travel of said lips for engaging the laterally freeears of the bands for continuing the movement thereof after they areinitially fed by said feeding element.

2. A machine for cleaning spacebands which have relatively slidableparts one of which is provided with a V-recess at the forward endcomprising, in combination, a feeding magazine having side walls betweenwhich horizontally positioned bands are stacked vertically with the V-ends of the bands positioned at one end, a vertically extending V-shapedabutment engageable by the V-recessed ends of the bands, means forvertically yieldably supporting said abutment, escape means on the lowerend of said abutment engageable by the forward end of the band to raisethe abutment automatically by forward movement of the band for allowingonly the lowermost band of the stack to be moved outwardly from beneaththe stack and the portion of the abutment above the escape portionhaving provision for retaining the remainder of the bands in position,and means for feeding the lowermost band during which time said abutmentyieldingly moves upwardly in response to movement of the lowermost bandthereby to allow such lowermost band to slide beneath the abutment.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 further r horizontal surfaceterminating between the ends of the bands such that the center ofgravity of the bands tends to tip the bands around the termination ofsaid horizontal surface, means for feeding bands from the magazine whenthe bands are in a substantially horizontal position, said means beingineffective when the bands are tipped, and means engageable with thecharacteristic on one side of the band for preventing such tippingaction so long as the lowermost band of the stack is positioned withsaid latter side in a down position and controlled by the characteristicon the other side of the band to allow said tipping action when saidlatter side is positioned downwardly.

5. In a machine for cleaning spacebands having a feeding magazine inwhich the bands lie substantially horizontally in a vertical stack, abottom plate in the magazine having a substantially horizontal surfaceterminating between the ends of the bands such that the center ofgravity of the bands tends to ti the bands around the termination ofsaid surface, means for feeding bands from the magazine when the bandsare in a substantially horizontal position, said means being ineffectivewhen the bands are tipped, and means for preventing such tipping actionso long as the lowermost band of the stack is positioned with apredetermined side in an up position, said predetermined side of theband having a groove and the other side being relatively flat, and themeans for preventing tipping of the bands comprising an element of asize to be received in said groove, said element having an upper surfacesubstantially in the same plane as the horizontal bottom plate of themagazine and located beyond the center of gravity of the stack of bandsso that when the lowermost band has its fiat surface facing downward itrests on the top of said element and maintains the stack horizontal andwhen the grooved side faces downward the stack tips thereby to raise oneend of the bands so as to render the feeding means inoperative.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 591,801 Agnew Oct. 19, 1897 1,564,198 Buckminster Dec.8, 1925 1,907,479 Bendix May 9, 1933 2,085,339 Smith June 29, 19372,138,662 Neumair Nov. 29, 1938 2,198,036 Isted Apr. 23, 1940 2,231,196Romyns Feb. 11, 1941 2,306,922 Willard Dec. 29, 1942 2,318,438 Voth May4, 1943 2,439,911 Sofnas Apr. 20, 1948 2,509,622 Woolcott May 30, 19502,608,285 Davidson Aug. 26, 1952

